One of the biggest challenges in a society that thrives on temptations, toxins and propaganda is to stay healthy. Having access to the right kitchen equipment enables you to prepare your own whole food meals in a healthy kitchen environment.
Nutrition is the most important factor for health, closely followed by sleep, stress level, sun exposure and weight training. You only need to have ten cooking essentials at your disposal to keep your kitchen healthy, as I’m going to show you.
The main premise is that plastics have absolutely no place in a kitchen. Plastic is the last material to pack and store foods in because it leaks carcinogenic chemicals and toxic xenoestrogens into it. Yet, all food packages are made out of plastic, so do the math.
You can buy all the items you really need for as much as $200, so a big budget is not needed. Prices are based on the Amazon listings I’m linking to, but IKEA also has all of it. Furthermore, it’s possible to buy second hand stuff sometimes, or at a local bazaar.
If you live a nomadic lifestyle or tend to go on long holidays, I’d look for Airbnbs over hotels so you can cook your own meals. Beware that eating out is poison by definition because every single restaurant uses the evil three: vegetable oils, sugar and refined grains.
We can assume that every Airbnb has at least half of the essentials listed, and you can go by the photos when booking to make sure it has most of the listed stuff. When you stay more than two weeks I’d consider it a good investment to buy the missing equipment. I hope you have low time preference on health.
The smart person mainly eats meat, fish and eggs, but has to be able to prepare them in the right way, so here we go.
The 10 minimalist’s cooking essentials are:
- Stainless steel skillet ~$40
- Stainless steel pot with lid ~$35
- Blender ~$20
- Kitchen scale ~$10
- Chef’s knife ~$40
- Non-plastic water bottle ~$10
- Non-plastic spatula ~$5
- Non-plastic cutting board ~$10
- Non-plastic storage containers ~$25
- Plant spray bottle ~$5
Stainless steel skillet ~$40
It’s not a coincidence that this item is on top of the list, as this is probably the single most important cooking essential you could have at your disposal.
In addition, this is also the most expensive item to purchase, but you will notice that when you invest in a good one it will last for years.
Make sure to use a skillet that is made out of stainless steel or cast iron. Non-stick layers are toxic and carcinogenic and will start to wear down in no time. Stainless steel skillets are awesome and are definitely an upgrade from non-stick if you learn how to use it.
Initially, you’ll probably fuck up a couple of meals as the foods will stick quickly. Learning how to cook in it is a skill you will definitely need for your entire cooking career, and is something that can be learned.
The secret is to heat it up and using cooking oils with a high smoking point. But I suppose you weren’t using vegetable oils anymore anyway, were you?
A diameter of 20 centimeters or about 8 inches is enough, I’m cooking everything in this size since a couple of years.
Stainless steel pot with lid ~$35
I’m using a stainless steel pot to make bone broth, to boil water for herbal tea and to cook small amounts of vegetables. A cast iron one is also fine.
Make sure the pot has the same size as the skillet and comes with a lid, so you can use the lid on the skillet too.
Another thing to pay attention to is that the pot has lines inside of it to measure water volumes.
Blender ~$20
A blender or hand blender are both fine to use for grinding vegetables for soups and to prepare VanMan’s raw egg smoothie.
Non-plastic blenders are better because plastic is a toxin that you don’t want in your food. So go for a blender with a glass container or a stainless steel hand blender. The latter is better and cheaper.
Kitchen scale ~$10
A kitchen scale is essential if you want to keep track of your calories and macros. If you don’t weigh your food, it’s hard to have a good idea about your intake.
Chef’s knife ~$30
You only need one good knife that you can use for everything. A pocket knife or a chef’s blade serve this purpose just fine.
Knives can be found in many price ranges, but for $30 you should be able to find a usable one. A blade length of about 10 centimeters (3,5 inches) is enough.
Watch the video below if you’re into knife porn and have some money to spend.
Non-plastic water bottle ~$5
Thou shall drink water from a glass water bottle. Metal is also fine, plastic isn’t.
Preferably buy spring water in glass bottles, carbonated or still. Tap water is more and more polluted all over the world, even though governments tell you it’s not.
Non-plastic spatula ~$5
Just a spatula, simple. Ideally something safe like wood or metal, definitely not plastic. For cooking delicate proteins like eggs and fish.
Non-plastic cutting board ~$10
To cut your meat and fish into pieces with your chef’s knife. Definitely not a plastic one, but made out of wood or stainless steel.
Non-plastic storage containers ~$25
Store food preferably in glass, wood or metal, non-plastic containers. Plastics will leak chemicals into the foods it touches, especially when heated.
Plant spray bottle ~$5
This one is not to cook, but to keep your kitchen clean. Mainstream cleaning products are very toxic to inhale and fuck up your hormones.
It’s very easy to make your own cleaner though, mixing water and vinegar 1:1. Add lemon if you don’t like the smell. Put it in a plant spray bottle and you’re done.
Worthy additions
Mesh grainer ~$5
Use a mesh grainer to drain rice, wash foods and make ghee. A small tea grainer can serve this purpose, too.
Stainless steel mixing bowl ~$5
A non-reactive stainless steel mixing bowl to mix different foods. The bigger the better.
Cheese grater ~$5
A cheese grater comes in handy to grate cheese and fermented vegetables like garlic and union.
Coffee percolator ~$20
This is a luxury product an not so neccesary, but a coffee percolator is small and you can make the best coffee with it.